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Re: New Ruben et al. dinosaur physiology reference


Graydon <oak@uniserve.com> wrote:

I'm bothered by it becuase nasal turbinates are primarily a mechanism
for moisture retention and heat exchange, and it's hard to see them as
the only way to do that, particularly given the probable basal nature of
the dinosaurian uniflow airsack and lung system, so I'm seeing this as
an unjustifiably strong conclusion.


The hypothesis is that the presence of respiratory turbinates can be equated with endothermy. Thus, the absence of RTs indicates the absence of endothermy. This equation has been criticized (many, many times) as overly simplistic. Greg Paul, for one, provides an excellent summation:

http://www.cmnh.org/dinoarch/1995Sep/msg00187.html




Tim

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